"Big, big brother..."

Shen Qingye's throat tightened.

The cold, icy eyes before him filled him with dread, and he instinctively took two steps back.

Shen Qingcheng coldly looked at the flustered Shen Qingye in front of him, "What are you afraid of?"

Of course I'm scared of getting beaten up... Shen Qingye raised his hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead and chuckled dryly, "I'm not scared, it's just a bit hot today, hahaha."

"Follow me." Shen Qingcheng's eyes darkened, and he strode forward.

Shen Qingye hesitated for a moment, but still followed.

Since his older brother didn't beat him up immediately, he probably won't get hit.

Thinking about it that way, he breathed a sigh of relief.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, the tall and imposing figure in front of us finally stopped.

Shen Qingye's legs were already sore, and now he could barely support himself. He had to hold onto the tree trunk beside him to avoid falling, his calves shaking like a leaf.

Shen Qingcheng glanced at Shen Qingye indifferently: "What do you think of this place?"

Shen Qingye looked around. It was a dark and windy night, a desolate wilderness, a place of trouble, and not a place to stay for long.

But he said it like a coward: "It's great, hehehe, it's great."

Shen Qingcheng straightened his sleeves: "I think it's pretty good too."

What does this mean?

Shen Qingye immediately had a bad feeling and turned to run away.

But his legs were so sore that he tripped and fell face-first into the mud.

Shen Qingcheng approached step by step.

"No, no, I was wrong, big brother..." Shen Qingye's face turned ashen, and he shook his head frantically, backing away inch by inch.

The crescent moon was obscured by a dark cloud, a howl resounded through the sky, startling the birds roosting in the forest, followed by weeping and pleas for mercy.

"Ouch! My leg is broken!"

"Help!"

"Waaaaah, I was wrong!"

"Big brother, please stop hitting me! My face is so swollen I can't even see it! I was wrong, please send me to the mountains to dig coal for thirty years, waaaaah!"

"Mother!"

Tonight is destined to be a lively night.

"Oh my, oh my, tsk tsk tsk, your older brother really went all out." Gu An huddled in the tree, crunching away at sunflower seeds.

He was wearing his undergarments, which he only wore to bed, and perhaps because he was in such a hurry to leave, he was only wearing one shoe.

Shen Qingfeng wore a grass wreath woven from tree branches as a disguise, with a small red flower swaying in the wind.

"That's right. My older brother is very strict about separating public and private matters. He can beat my father like he's beating his stepfather. How could he not be ruthless?"

He nudged Gu An lightly with his shoulder twice: "Any more sunflower seeds? Give me another handful."

Gu An frowned: "No, that's all. You should really think about how many sunflower seeds you've eaten of mine these past few days!"

"Don't be stingy, I risked my life to bring you to see the show."

"Alright, alright, this is the last round. That's all. Remember to call me next time you have a chance." Gu An said with great reluctance, tossing the small cloth bag from his waist over.

Shen Qingfeng said contentedly, "I know, I know."

Gu An said sternly, "Don't lie to me!"

"No, no, I'm not lying. I'm only lying to you because you're Shen Qingye." Shen Qingfeng held up three fingers.

A gentleman's word is his bond.

"A journey of a thousand miles cannot be overtaken."

...

Shen Jiao has been working hard to improve her chess skills for two consecutive days.

When Nan Lao was engrossed in studying chess games, she would huddle in the library reading books.

She has an excellent memory; once she has read a chess book, she can remember it. If she thinks about it carefully before going to bed, it becomes part of her knowledge.

"Oh dear girl, you've read so many books without taking a break. Don't you want to ruin your eyes?"

After saying that, Wang Fu tried to snatch the book from Shen Jiao's hand, which recorded various classic chess games and was bigger than her face.

Shen Jiao turned away, saying, "There's only a little more to watch."

Wang Fu's eyes suddenly stung.

The little pig I finally fattened up has already lost weight in just a few days.

"Eunuch Wang! What's with that expression?" Shen Jiao narrowed her eyes.

Wang Fu sighed, "Girl, when will you be able to eat and sleep like before, sleep and eat?"

Shen Jiao sensed something was off: "You're not describing me, you're describing a pig, aren't you?"

"They're all the same, fair-skinned and chubby, except they don't look alike."

"..."

Shen Jiao stopped paying attention to the talkative and easily startled old man and focused on studying diligently, just like she was preparing for the college entrance examination.

Wang Fu didn't say much, hoping she would finish reading quickly and get some rest.

He quietly helped her organize the books, and before he knew it, he discovered that Shen Jiao had read so many books in just three days!

"Miss, there's no need to push yourself so hard. If we don't succeed this time, we can just attend the next Four Flowers Banquet."

"I'm not risking my life, I'm saving someone's life," Shen Jiao shook her head and corrected her.

"Who to save?"

Wang Fu simply assumed that the child had become stupid from studying too much.

To take Zuo's son as an example, he always quotes Confucius or the sayings of a gentleman, which makes him seem rather dim-witted.

"Help me."

As she spoke, Shen Jiao suddenly turned her head to the side.

The morning sun shines brightly, casting its light on people's clothes. Golden light filters through the gaps in the magnolia tree. The young man's phoenix eyes are as clear as autumn water, captivating even without any embellishment, and a faint smile plays on his lips.

And him.

...

On the fourth day, Shen Jiao successfully graduated from Nan Lao's tutelage.

With tears streaming down his face, Mr. Nan said that although he was seventy years old, he would not die anytime soon and could teach for a few more years.

"Why are you so stubborn, girl? You have an extraordinary talent for chess, why did you have to learn painting? Isn't that a waste of your life?"

"Old man Nan, explain yourself! How is learning to paint a waste of life? Young girls should learn to paint to cultivate their minds!"

An elegantly dressed old man was quite dissatisfied. He was carrying a small wooden bucket containing a dozen or so brushes.

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